Truckee Info

Visit the Truckee Chamber of Commerce Website

Visit the Town of Truckee Website

Location
Nestled in the picturesque Sierra Nevada at an average elevation of 6,000 feet, the Truckee-Donner area is a dynamic recreational area. This forested region is filled with lakes, streams, meadows, trails, parks, campgrounds, and all-season resorts in a sparkling, alpine environment. The Truckee community is the business hub of the High Sierra, as well as the transportation center for the region. Many seasonal events attract sportsmen, vacationers and second home residents.

The Town of Truckee boundaries include major subdivisions in Truckee (except areas in Placer County), most of Donner Lake, downtown, Tahoe Donner®, Prosser Lakeview Estates, Sierra Meadows, Ponderosa Palisades, Old Greenwood, Grays Crossing, Olympic Heights, Glenshire, The Meadows, Ponderosa Golf Course area, and the California Highway Patrol inspection station. Read more about the subdivisions here.

Building Activity
The Tahoe-Truckee Sanitation Agency (TTSA) will issue a connection permit only after the property owner has obtained a building permit and sewer permit and complied with all other County requirements including environmental requirements, including the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) guidelines.

The TRPA is a separate legal entity governed by a body of seven delegates from California and seven from Nevada plus nonvoting federal representative to "achieve and maintain adopted environmental threshold carrying capacities while providing for orderly growth and development consistent with such capabilities". The TRPA provides guidelines under which a building or buildings are designed, built or rehabilitated. They also limit the number and type of building permits issued.

Sewer and Water Service
The Tahoe Truckee Sanitation Agency (TTSA) was formed in 1972 under a special act of the California Legislature. The TTSA is comprised of five member entities: North Tahoe Public Utility District, Tahoe City Public Utility District, Alpine Springs County Water District, Squaw Valley County Water District, and the Truckee Sanitary District. The TTSA boundaries are coterminous with those of the member entities. The TTSA was formed to plan, construct, and operate interceptor truck sewers and sewage treatment and disposal facilities to serve the five member entities.

Water is supplied by the five members of the Tahoe Truckee Sanitation District and five smaller neighborhood water companies obtaining it either from springs, well or the Lake. Currently, only North Tahoe Public Utility District & Northstar customers are metered and have monthly charges. All other companies bill a flat yearly rate. Charges for initial hook-up to the systems range between $1,000 to $3,000. Most commercial properties are metered with charges varying with the establishment.

Utilities Including Electric, Gas, Propane & Phone
Suppliers in the region include Southwest Gas (natural gas), Sierra Pacific Power Company (electric), Cal-Gas, Amerigas, Suburban & Truckee Tahoe Propane (propane). Telephone service is provided by Pacific Bell.

Governmental & Community Facilities
There are no incorporated cities on the California north shore of Lake Tahoe. Placer County maintains a Sheriff station, Judicial offices and Planning/Permit office in Tahoe City.

Health
Two community hospitals are within a 20 mile radius plus a satellite office in Tahoe City, 50 +/- physicians and surgeons, 20 +/- dentists, 3 +/- optometrists, 15 +/- chiropractic doctors, mental health services and Sierra family services. The above counts include the Truckee-Donner area.

Education
Seven pre-schools, 6 elementary, 3 intermediate, 3 high schools, one college extension, 3 Christian schools, 2 private schools plus traffic, arts, dance, martial arts, meditation and ski schools.

Cultural
Two public libraries, 3 newspapers, 3 radio stations, 2 television cable companies, five banks and savings & loans, and 16 churches.

Recreation
Unlimited!!!

Tax Rates
Prior to 1981/82, California law required that all properties generally be assessed at 25% of full cash value. In 1978, the voters passed Proposition 13, an amendment to the California Constitution which defined full cash value to mean "the county assessor's valuation of real property as shown on the 1975/76 tax bill under 'full cash value', or thereafter, the appraised value of real property when purchased, newly constructed or a change in ownership has occurred after the 1975 assessment period". Full cash value may be increased at a rate not to exceed 2% per year to partially offset inflation. Also, the amendment limits the amount of any ad valorem tax on real property to 1% of full cash value, except that the tax rate may be increased to pay debt service on general obligation bonds approved by the voters prior to July 01, 1978. The net effect is that the maximum tax rate is $1.00 per $100.00 of market valuation plus the additional amount necessary to cover general obligation bond debt authorized by the voters prior to July 01, 1978. Beginning in 1981/82, property values for assessment purposes are expressed as market value.

California sales tax in the Tahoe area is 7.25%--6.25% state and county and 1% returning to local government.

Housing Availability, Prices & Rentals
Rentals for rooms, studios and apartments range in price from $200-$600 a month plus utilities, which in winter can be substantial. Homes and cabins rent in the range of $400 to well over $2000 per month, with some units being fully furnished. Condominiums and homes sell from a low of $100,000 to well over $1,000,000 for lake front properties. Click here for rental info.

Labor Market
Due to the fact that the North Tahoe economic picture raises or diminishes with the tourist seasons and the great majority are service oriented businesses, the labor force needed for these services fluctuates with the seasons, with the largest number of people employed during the winter and summer months.

Transportation
Four major and three secondary highways provide access to the Lake Tahoe basin and paved roads encircle the Lake. US Highway 50 provides access to the south and southeast portions of the basin, California State Hwy 89 traverses the west side and California and Nevada Route 28 traverse the north and northeast portion. California State Hwy. 267 provides access to the Lake Tahoe basin from Truckee and Nevada Route 431 provides access from Reno via the Mt. Rose. US Interstate 80 extends the length of Placer County, connecting the Basin with Truckee, Reno, Sacramento and San Francisco. The peak month(s) for auto traffic at Tahoe City is August and January, with the latter receiving a little more than half of the traffic that August experiences.

The original main line of the Southern Pacific Railroad parallels US Interstate 80 and connects San Francisco and Sacramento with Truckee and Reno. Airport facilities are available in Truckee, South Lake Tahoe, and major commercial service in Reno (Reno- Tahoe International Airport). Greyhound provides bus service between Reno, Truckee and Sacramento/San Francisco. The Tahoe Area Regional Transit (TART) is a locally financed bus service which connects all of the resorts on the north and west shores of Lake Tahoe plus connections to Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Northstar-at-Tahoe, and Truckee.

Elevation
Downtown Truckee: 5,980 ft.
Donner Summit: 7,239 ft.
Donner Peak: 8,019 ft.
Mt. Judah: 8,243 ft.

Climate
Average Summer Temperature:
40-79 degrees Fahrenheit
Average Winter Temperature:
17-42 degrees Fahrenheit
Average Total Snowfall:
206 inches
Average Total Precipitation:
32 inches (source: Western Regional Climate Center)

Coldest Spot in the Nation?
Truckee has often earned the reputation as one of the chilliest spots in the nation. While it may be true, it really doesn't give a true picture of Truckee's pristine California weather pattern. Nestled between the peaks of the Sierra, Truckee's plateau often gets an inversion, whereby cold air is trapped overnight; thus the extreme, cold temperatures in the wee hours of the morning. As the sun begins to rise, so does the temperature, creating daytime highs 30-plus degrees above the lows.

Terrain
The Truckee Donner area has expansive granite mountain, vista, meadow, and lake terrain.

Town Boundary
34 square miles of largely developed land in the eastern portion of Nevada County.